Rotary reducing machine



W. J. ARMSTRONG ROTARY REDUCING MACHINE Filed Jan. 28, 1932 `lune 30,1936.

Patented June 30, 1936 UNITED STATES ROTARY REDUCING MACHINE Walter J.Armstrong, Columbus, Ohio, assigner to The Jeffrey ManufacturingCompany, a corporation of Ohio Application January 28, 1932, Serial No.589,492

18 Claims.

The present invention relates to rotary reduc'- ing machines of theswing-hammer type wherein centrifugally projected hammers or beaterscooperate with suitable means for the pulveriza- 9 tion, crushing orshredding of various materials.

The action of the machines of-the type above mentioned depends largelyon the size of the hammers used and the speed at which the rotor isrotated. In a given machine it naturally follows that the faster therotor is rotated the greater is the centrifugal force of the hammers andthe less their tendency to yield upon impact with the material to bereduced. Substantially the same result, as regards yielding underimpact, can be secured by utilizing heavier hammers with the rotorrotating at a reduced speed.

While the application of the present invention is not limited to anyparticular type of swing hammer machine, I shall describe it inconnection with a machine of the type generally contemplated in UnitedStates Patent 1,761,083, issued June 3, 1930 to William K. Liggett.According to the disclosure of this patent the outward projection of thehammers under centrifugal force is limited by abutment means on therotor, the hammers being so disposed that upon encountering unpulverableobjects they may recede entirely within the peripheral outlines of themain rotor body which comprises essentially a series of circular discsmounted on a drive shaft.

The basic idea disclosed in the patented apparatus has been furtherdeveloped by Nils D. Levin as disclosed in his United States patentapplication Serial No. 362,951 led May 14, 1929. According, to thisapplication, the weight oi the hammers and their length are considerablyincreased so that whereas the Liggett machine is essentially a highspeed machine, the Levin machine is intended for operation at lowerspeeds, the hammers due to their weight and disposition beingeffectively maintained in centrifugally projected relation.

The present invention is favorably applicable to a machine of the Levintype, particularly where a relatively small machine is involved, orwhere for any reason the length of the hammers must be reduced.According to the invention, one or more of the hammers is so connectedwith another centriiugally projectible member, which is preferablyanother hammer, that the centrifugal force of the latter is added tothat of the former so as to aid in sustaining the hammer incentrifugally projected position against counter- 55 acting forcesarising through impact upon the material to be reduced. For example,considering two hammers or beaters to be rigidly interconnected, animpact on one of them must react on both so that the backward swing ofthe impacting hammer is considerably reduced since the inertia of theconnected hammer must also be overcome.

While various arrangements are possible, I have shown two preferredembodiments of the invention in the accompanying drawing. 5

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a machine embodying the invention. A

Figure 2 is a plan View of the rotor shown in Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a plan view of a rotor embodying a modied form of beaterarrangement.

Referring to the drawing, and rst of all to Figures 1 and 2, referencenumeral l0 designates generally a suitable form of casing or housing andli a rotor body of suitable construction. Since the illustrated casingis well known in the art and is particularly described in Reissue Patent17,334, William K. Liggett, June 25, 1929, its particular descriptionhere is believed to be un- 20 necessary.

The rotor body ii comprises a number of discs l2 keyed on a shaft i3which is revoluble in suitable bearings of the casing, the discs beingseparated by means of spacing collars as at i4 keyed with the discs tothe shaft. The disc margins are provided with a number of apertures allof which preferably have their centers on the circumference of a commoncircle concentric with shaft i3, the apertures receiving` pivot rods l5and abutment rods I6, the ends of the rods projecting through alignedapertures in end discs il! and i8 and, as here shown, having nutsthreaded on their ends. As here shown, the rods i5 are spaced 90 fromeach other and the rods i6 are similarly spaced.

Hammers or beaters i 9 are pivoted on the pivot rods I5 in selected onesof the disc spaces. As shown in Figure 2, for example, alternate discspaces are occupied by beaters on each pivot rod, the beaters of eachseries being staggered relative to the beaters of the adjacent series.Each axial series is shown as being composed of three beaters, althoughof course the particular number of beaters is immaterial to theinvention.

Each beater I9 comprises a boss portion 20 of substantially the samewidth as the rod portions between the discs and perforated to receivethe associated rod. Each beater also comprises an elongated shank or armportion 2i at the free end of which is an angularly extending relativelyheavy head 22. The width of the arm and main head portions is less thanthat of the boss porprovided at its head end with an aperture adapted toreceive a tie rod 24.

As shown in Figure 2, the tie rods 24 are substantially equal in lengthto the pivot and abutment rods I5 and I6 and each is engaged in the headapertures of all of the beaters of a longitudinal series so as to holdthe beaters of each series in substantially parallel relation, the tierods being parallel to the rotor axis as are also rods I5 and I6. Inorder to afford a proper swinging range for the 'beaters the tie rodsare passed through sufficiently large disc apertures 25, these aperturesas here shown being in the form of slots arcuate on the centers of thepivot rods and of a width slightly greater than the diameter of the tierods. Beyond the end discs I'I and I8,

the tie rods are shouldered and have threaded ex-` tremities on whichnuts are engaged to prevent longitudinal displacement of the tie rods,the nuts abutting the shoulders so as to avoid clamping action on theend discs.

As shown in Figure 1 the hammers may move from a centrifugally projectedmaterial engaging position wherein the arms abut rods I6 to anineffective inner position wherein the heads lie entirely within thedisc edges in abutment with collars I4. If desired, however, theabutment rods and abutment collars I4, as such, may be omitted and thetie rods may cooperate with the ends of ,the slots as abutment means forlimiting the beater swing.

It will be evident that reaction to an impact by one of the hammers ofan axial series will be communicated through the tie rods to the otherhammers of the series so that the reaction is resisted by the inertia ofthe entire series of hammers.

According to Figure 3, each longitudinal series of hammers comprises twogroups of two hammers, each group being connected by a tie rod 26. Ihetwo groups thus act independently of each other, but the hammers of eachgroup act in conjunction, as above described. Obviously, in largerrotors the number of hammers in a group may be increased.

As shown in Figure 1, four axial series of hammers are provided. Due tothe described spacing of the series of rods I5 and I6, it will beevident that opposite ones of each series of rods may be removed if arotor having only two axial series is desired.

It is to be understood that the general combination shown and describedas well as the form of the hammers and their arrangement are to be takenonly as illustrative of the invention, the scope of which is determinedin the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a. rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising abeater pivoted thereto to be centrifugally projected upon rotorrotation, another centrifugally projectible member pivoted to saidrotor, said beater and member being separate unitary bodies and meansconnecting said member and beater whereby the centrifugal force of themember is added to that of the beater to assist in sustaining the latterin projected position, said connecting means being remote from theworking face of the beater so as not to obstruct the action thereof.

2. In a rotary reducing machine a rotor comprislng a beater pivotedthereto on an axis parallel -to the rotor axis to be centrifugallyprojected upon rotor rotation, another centrifugally projectible memberpivoted to the rotor on said beater axis,

said beater and member being separate unitary bodies and meansconnecting said member and beater whereby the centrifugal force of themember is added to that of the beater to assist in sustaining the latterin projected position, said con- 5 necting means being remote from theworking face of the beater so as not to obstruct the action thereof.

3. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor comprising a beater pivotedthereto on an axis parallel 10 to the rotor axis to be centrifugallyprojected upon rotor rotation, another centrifugally projectible memberpivoted to the rotor on said beater axis, said beater and member beingseparate unitary bodies and means rigidly connecting 15 said member withsaid beater at a point removed from the pivotal axis of the latterwhereby the centrifugal force of the member is added to that of thebeater to assist in sustaining the latter in projected position, saidconnecting means being 20 remote from the working face of the beater soas not to obstruct the action thereof.

4. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor comprising a beater pivotedthereto on an axis parallel to the rotor axis to be centrifugallyprojected 25 upon rotor rotation, another centrifugally projectiblemember pivoted to the rotor on said beater axis, a radial wall of therotor separating said member and beater and provided with an aperture,and means connecting said member and 30 beater through said aperturewhereby the centrifugal force of the member is added to that of thebeater to assist in sustaining the latter in projected position.'

5. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said 35 rotor comprising aplurality of separate unitary beaters pivoted thereto to becentrifugally pro, jected upon rotor rotation, and means connecting saidbeaters whereby the centrifugal force of each is added to that of theother for their mutual sustention in projected position, said connectingmeans being remote from the working faces of the beaters so as not toobstruct the action thereof.

6. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of separate unitary 45 beaters pivotal on an axis parallel tothe rotor axis and centrifugally projectible upon rotor rotation, andmeans connecting said beaters whereby the centrifugal force of each isadded to that of the other for their mutual sustention in projectedposition, said connecting means being remote from the working faces ofthe beaters so as not to obstruct the action thereof.

7. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of separate unitary 55 beaters pivotal on an axis parallel tothe rotor axis and centrifugally projectible upon rotor rotation, andmeans rigidly connecting the beaters at points removed from their axiswhereby the centrifugal force of each is added to that of the 60 otherfor their mutual sustention in projected position, said connecting meansbeing remote from the working faces of the beaters so as not to obstructthe action thereof.

8. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said 65 rotor comprising aseries of separate unitary beaters spaced axially thereof and pivotal onan axis parallel to the rotor axis, said beaters being centrifugallyprojectible upon rotor rotation, and means connecting said beaterswhereby the centrifugal force of each is added to that of the others fortheir mutual sustention in projected position, said connecting meansbeing remote from the working faces of the beaters so as not to obstructthe action thereof.-

9. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising a seriesof separate unitary beaters spaced axially thereof and pivotal on anaxis parallel to the rotor axis and provided with aligned apertures,outwardly of said axis and inwardly ofthe free ends'of the beaters-so asnot to obstruct the beater action, said beaters being centrifugallyprojectible upon rotor rotation, and a rigid bar passed through saidapertures whereby the centrifugal force of each beater is added to thatof the others for their mutual sustention in projected position.

10. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of plates spaced longitudinally of the rotor axis, a pluralityof beaters mounted between said lplates for pivotal movement about anaxis parallel to the rotor axis, said plates being provided with alignedapertures removed from the pivotal axis of the beaters, and a rodconnecting the beaters and passed through the plate apertures, saidapertures being of a size relative to the rod to afford a suitable rangeof swing for the beaters, the rod maintaining the beaters always insubstantially parallel relation to each other.

1l. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of plates spaced longitudinally of the rotor axis, a pluralityof beaters mounted between said plates for pivotal move` ment about anaxis parallel to the rotor axis, said plates being provided with alignedapertures removed from the pivotal axis of the beaters, and a rodconnecting the beaters and passed through the plate apertures, saidapertures being of a size relative to the rod to afford a suitable rangeoi' swing for the beaters, the rod maintaining the beaters always insubstantially parallel relation to each other and being adapted to abutends of the apertures to limit the beater swing.

12. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of plates spaced longitudinally of the rotor axis, a pluralityof beaters mounted between said plates for pivotal movement about anaxis parallel to the rotor axis,

`said plates being provided with aligned apertures removed fromthepivotal axis of the beaters, a rod connecting the beaters and passedthrough the plate apertures, said apertures being of a size relative tothe rod to aiord a'suitable range of swing for the beaters, the rodmaintaining the beaters always in substantially parallel relation toeach other, and means presented by the rotor.

for engaging the beaters to limit their swing.

13. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality of beaters pivoted thereto on an vaxis parallel to the rotoraxis, said beaters each comprising an elongated arm portion and anangular head portion, the head portions being centrifugally projected toa material engaging position upon rotor rotation and being movaibleinwardly of the rotor to an ineffective position upon cessation orcounteraction of centrifugal force, means on the rotor limiting theswing of the beaters, and a rod rigidly engaged with the beater heads tomaintain the same always in substantially parallel relation to.eachother.

14. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor, said rotor comprising aplurality 'of beaters pivoted thereto on an axis parallel to the rotoraxis, said beaters each comprising an elongated arm portion and anangular head portion, the head portions being centrifugally projected toa material engaging position upon rotor rotation and being movableinwardly of the rotor to an ineifective position upon cessation orcounteraction of centrifugal force, means on the rotor limiting theswing of the beaters, a radial wall separating the'beaters, the wallbeing provided with an aperture removed from the beater axis, and a rodrigidly engaged with the-beater heads and passing through said aperture,the aperture being oia size relation to the rod to afford the requisiterange of beater swing, said rod serving to maintain the beaters alwaysin substantially parallel relation to each other.

l5. In a rotary reducing-machine, a rotor comprising an axiallyextending series oi. separate unitary beaters pivotal about a commonaxis parallel to the rotor axis, said beaters being centrifugallyprojectible upon rotor rotation, and means remote from the working facesof the beaters and unobstructing to the action thereof tying the beaterstogether in groups of at least two beaters whereby each beater of agroup has enforced participation in the movements of the other beater ofthat group, the centrifugal force of the beaters of each group beingcumulative for their mutual sustention in projected position.

16. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor comprising a rotor body and aplurality of separate unitary beaters pivotal about a common axisparallel to the rotor axis and within the peripheral outlines of saidrotor body, said beaters being centrifugally projectible upon rotorrotation, and means positionedwithin the outlines of the rotor body whenthe beaters are in projected relation and connecting the beaterstogether whereby each beater has enforced participation in the movementsof the other, the centrifugal force of the connected beaters beingcumulative forv their mutual sustention in projected position.

17. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor comprising a rotor body and apluralityl of beaters pivotal about a common axis parallel to the rotoraxis and within the peripheral outlines of said rotor body, said beaterseach comprising an elonso that each has enforced participation in-themovements of the other.

18. In a rotary reducing machine, a rotor comprising a rotor body and aplurality of separate unitary axially spaced beaters swingable about acommon axis parallel to the rotor axis and within the peripheraloutlines of said rotor body, said beaters being centrifugallyprojectible upon rotor rotation, and means positioned within theoutlines of the rotor body at all times and connecting the beaterstogether so that the centrifugal force of each assists in sustaining'theother against inward movement as the result of impact upon material inthe machine, each of said beaters having enforced participation in theinward swinging movement of the other during operation of the machine,the beaters being so mounted that their direction of inward swing abouttheir axis is opposite to the direction of rotation of the rotor aboutits axis.

WAL'I'ER J. ARMSTRONG.

